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Injuries keep Brandt Snedeker from realizing full potential

By David Climer;, dclimer@tennessean.com;
11:07 p.m. CST February 16, 2014

Brandt Snedeker has missed the cut in two of five tournaments this year, although he did tie for 11th in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
(Photo:
Reid Compton / File / USA TODAY Sports
)

As a fan for all seasons, Brandt Snedeker knows the description often attached to Titans quarterback Jake Locker:

Injury-prone.

Snedeker can relate. He’s off to a slow start on the PGA Tour this year after suffering a knee injury in a freak fall last November.

“The problem with my knee cut into my practice, so I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be starting the year,” he said.

Unfortunately, there’s a recurring theme here. This time it was the knee. Other times it has been first one hip, then the other, both of which eventually required surgery. And don’t forget the rib injuries. All told, Snedeker says his only healthy season on Tour was 2007 when he was named Rookie of the Year.

“It’s fair to say I am injury-prone,” he said. “Personally, I don’t feel that’s the case, but maybe I am. I can’t deny that I’ve gotten hurt a lot. It obviously concerns me.

“During the course of a guy’s career, he’s going to have injuries. There’s no way around that. I hope I’m having all my injuries early in my career.”

Snedeker says he is “fully healthy now” and is anxious to get back into the traveling circus that is the life of a PGA Tour player. He took last week off and spent much of one day taping an episode of the Golf Channel show “Feherty” at his home in Williamson County.

Prior to the taping, show host David Feherty said he hopes Snedeker can stay healthy because “the Tour’s a lot more fun to watch when he’s out there sprinting and everyone else is just dawdling around.”

Snedeker’s most recent injury was of his own doing. He was on a Segway scooter during a corporate outing in Shanghai last fall when he took a tumble and sprained his left knee.

“I had been on the Segway all day, going back and forth on a par-3 during the pro-am,” he said. “We got done and I wanted to see how fast the thing would go. I hit a hole in the fairway and lost control. I jumped off because I knew I was going to bite it.

“I landed and felt my knee pop. It scared me. I thought I had torn something. Luckily, I didn’t.”

The result: “I’m banned from all motorized vehicles with less than four wheels,” he said.

Wonder if the Titans have considered a similar ban for their quarterback — just in case?

Snedeker’s injury didn’t require surgery, but it kept him off the golf course. It took six weeks for the knee to heal completely.

“I wasn’t able to do much of anything,” he said. “That was the frustrating part. I did therapy every day and worked on it to make sure the muscles didn’t deteriorate. I was in a brace for three weeks. It was a slow process.”

At age 33 and mindful of his past physical problems, Snedeker has become more proactive about his health. He’s altered his workout regimen and changed his diet. Soft drinks are out. So are saturated fats and fast foods. Dark vegetables and dark fruits are in.

“I’m just trying to eat clean so it will help my body recover on its own,” he said. “The idea is to help my bones regenerate faster and my muscles recover faster. I’m anxious to see how it goes. I feel great.”

What he doesn’t feel great about is the way he has played since returning from the knee injury. He’s missed the cut in two of five tournaments, although he did tie for 11th in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

“It’s been a struggle,” he said. “The biggest thing is I’m putting terribly. When I putt bad it’s not fun. It kind of bleeds into the rest of my game. I’ve put a lot of work in but I can’t take what I’m doing in practice onto the golf course for some reason.”

History tells us that better days are ahead. He’s always been a streaky player. When you’re No. 17 in the World Golf Rankings, your game isn’t going to stay down long. Besides, golf’s rite of spring — the Masters — is less than two months away.

“There’s nothing like the first tee at the Masters,” he said.

And he expects to arrive at Augusta National in good health.

David Climer’s columns appear on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Reach him at 615-259-8020 and on Twitter @DavidClimer.